The Spurs closed out the Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night, setting up a title rematch from last year with the defending champion Heat. Unfortunately we don't get to see it until Thursday, because it was decided long ago that the Finals would begin on June 5.

Why the NBA feels the need to do this I'll never understand. The games will still sell out and people will still watch them on TV even if it isn't known ahead of time what day they will be played on.

The predetermined date allows for the possibility of every series going seven games, but when that doesn't happen you end up with a ridiculous number of unnecessary days off.

After five of the eight first round series went the full seven, there hasn't been a Game 7 since. All four second round series ending in six games or fewer caused both Conference Finals to have four days off between games at one point. And now that each of those series only went six we're stuck waiting five days until the Finals start.

Maybe next year every playoff series will be a sweep and people will forget about the NBA altogether in the month off before the Finals...